The present invention relates to a machine for feeding signatures and the like, which can be used in relation to sheet feeder machines and the like used in bookbinding.
As is known, in book-binding, there is currently the problem of delivering individual signatures to a working machine such as, for example, a sheet feeder, by withdrawing them individually from a stack of signatures which have been previously subjected to other types of operation.
Currently known machines for this purpose are generally constituted by a reciprocating plane onto which the stack of signatures is delivered and with which cooperate needle-like members adjustable in height with respect to the plane itself in such a way as to delimit an adequate transfer passageway in dependence on the thickness of the signatures themselves.
This type of machine is, however, constructionally complicated, above all because of the necessity of conferring reciprocating movement to the operating plane. Another disadvantage encountered with machines of this known type is constituted by the fact that it is not always possible to adjust the separation between the individually supplied signatures in dependence on the operating requirements of the machine, positioned downstream, to which the signatures are delivered.
In machines of known type there are also currently encountered significant difficulties if it is necessary to place the signatures at a working level positioned at a different height than that of the loading plane of the signature feeder.